Brentwood sergeant praised after multi-suspect arrests at Brentwood Place

Commissioners highlighted the Brentwood Police Department’s response to a shoplifting and stolen-vehicle incident at Brentwood Place Shopping Center during the Sept. 22 meeting, praising Sergeant Billy Townsend and other officers for apprehending two suspects.

Commissioner Travis introduced news coverage of the incident and complimented Townsend’s actions. A Channel 2 news summary noted law enforcement found a stolen vehicle and later detained a woman exiting a store with allegedly stolen merchandise; body camera video shows Townsend chasing the woman. The department then located a second suspect, and Townsend and other officers completed arrests.

Townsend said the arrests were team efforts and named the officers who assisted: Mason Lundgren, Connor Smith, Tanner Choate, Joseph Troy and Maggie McCord. “Because of the work that they did, it allowed me to get in position to find the second suspect,” Townsend said. He described that he lacked a second set of handcuffs during the second arrest and relied on nearby officers to complete the arrest.

Commissioners and the mayor praised the department’s use of technology and training, noting the role of license-plate-reader alerts and body-worn cameras that helped locate and document the incident. Townsend emphasized that many actions behind the scenes — training, equipment and teamwork — make such arrests possible.

No formal policy or budget decisions were taken in response to the recognition; commissioners used the remarks to acknowledge the patrol and investigative work of Brentwood officers.